Wednesday, October 26, 2011

IT'S IN THE WAY WE MAKE AN OFFERING

Last night I had the privilege of angel-sitting my two little grandsons, Brody (5) and Jonah (3).  When I got to their house to pick them up they were sitting at the dining room table beaming in delight.  They had spent the entire afternoon coloring pages in their color books and cutting out pictures for me.  There were broken crayons all over the table, scraps of paper all over the floor, and pages and pages of tattered coloring pages that had been torn out of their books. 

Brody exclaimed first, "Nana!  We have been making things for you all the day so we could give them to you when you came to get us!!  Do you like them?"  Then little Jonah chimed in, "Nana, I have been cutting for you!!"  He stood up and more scraps of paper gracefully slipped to the floor and scattered about. (Jonah has been working on his skills with the scissors lately.  LOL)

As they ran to my open arms and gave me all of their papers I was suddenly brought to tears.  It was the look on their little faces that said, "we are giving these to you because we love you!"  They used their talents, imaginations, and materials to "honor" and "love" me!! 

Then it occurred to me that God must feel the same way when we run to His open arms and share with him our talents, desires, materials, and tattered and broken lives.  He appreciates our "offering".  Not because it is something "grand" but because it is pure and real.

You see it wasn't the coloring pages that meant the world to me and touched my heart.  It was my grandsons' willingness to want to give me "something" to show their love for me.  The same with God.  He isn't looking for those who can bring Him BIG SACRIFICES and OFFERINGS.  He is looking for those who are willing to bring whatever it is they have.  He is looking for those who are willing to offer up themselves entirely to Him.  Body, heart, mind and soul.  It blesses God in the same way Brody and Jonah blessed their nana.

So remember...it isn't always what we offer to God that is important, it is in the way we offer it to Him that matters.






MARK 12:41-44

41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.
43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”